Plans to demolish Sandman Inn move forward
Plans to demolish the Sandman Inn and a nearby restaurant to make way for commercial space and 73 residential condos will move forward after the Santa Barbara Planning Commission gave the project glowing reviews en route to unanimous approval.
In its current form, the project will encompass a total of 105,693 square feet on 4.58 acres at 3714 and 3744 State St. —a design plan resulting from six years in the planning pipeline and major revisions that eliminated a proposal to build a three-story hotel on the site.
Planning commission members praised the applicant’s decision to decrease the density of the development and respond to the newly drafted design guidelines for upper State Street.
“I hope to point to this and say this is the new way of doing things that gives respect to the outer area of State Street,” Commissioner John Jostes said, calling the final version of the project “far more elegant” than prior iterations.
Along with transforming the 113-room Sandman Inn into rubble, workers will demolish the neighboring building that houses the Downtown Brewing Company. A two-story commercial complex totaling 14,612 square feet will go up alongside the 73 residential units, 11 of which will be offered at prices targeted toward middle-income households.
The design plan includes more than 25,000 square feet of open space and required no zoning modifications by including sufficient parking and building setbacks from the street.
Naomi Kovacs, executive director of the Citizens Planning Association, said she remains concerned about the project’s negative impacts on the city’s jobs/housing imbalance and traffic conditions on upper State Street.
However, she too acknowledged that the current form of the project has “far less extensive” problems than the original version. Kovacs added that a simple way to improve it further would be to lower the number of residential condos.
Plans to revamp the Sandman Inn initially came forward in 2003 and included a three-story, 113-room hotel as well as 64 residential condos. That eventually transformed into a proposal for a 106-room hotel in 2007 before the hotel concept was dropped entirely in favor of commercial space in 2008.
“This project has gone through several iterations but it has improved at every iteration,” Commissioner Addison Thompson said. “It is a better project for the property owner, but it is also certainly a better project for the city and community.”
The office building would stand 31 feet tall, while the residential complex would top out at 35 feet, well below the allowable building heights on the site.
In approving the plans, city officials praised the open space area included in the center of the residential area, the reduced building height near the intersection of State Street and Hitchcock Way, and the effort to preserve older trees.
Commissioner Harwood “Bendy” White also pointed out that the traffic impacts associated with the development will be reduced from those currently related to the site.
“I don’t see how we can ask for better than that from a developer,” he said, adding later, “When the room is this empty, that’s a good sign that a project has made pretty good progress.”
Comment on this article
No hotel - bad; no mods - good : 12/18/2009
Too bad to lose a reasonably affordable hotel. The reason the room was empty, if, as White indicated, it was, is because opposition was futile ---- and, in addition, for the hotel, those who would have stayed there, tourists and visitors to Santa Barbara, do not attend planning commission hearings! Very good, though, to have a project that requires no mods. That should be a model, a requirement for all future development.
city person
CPA??? : 12/18/2009
Why does the Daily Sound publish Naomi Kovacs comments? She over reacts to every project that comes before the PC and Council. It's kind of ironic that her organization CPA actually represents a small minority of the actual Citizens of Santa Barbara. She doesn't understand development so stop publishing her comments!
CPA???
Downtown Brewing Company : 12/18/2009
So what will happen to the Downtown Brewing Company? It has become a favorite spot for many sports fans to hang out
around the corner
DTBC.... Who Cares!?! : 12/18/2009
Nobody will miss the DTBC! That place was horrible!! Everything, the food, service atmosphere, location. Surprised it hung on as long as it did!
Downtown Brewing Company : 12/18/2009
The Downtown Brewing Company was neither downtown, nor a brewing company.
Do you know how many pints I sucked down there pondering that quandary?
I am glad that madness will finally cease.
Confused Boozer
Another city council, another future failed development : 12/19/2009
This is a dissappointing decision. I'm all for developement in this town, but this is just lame. This space should be all commercial space and no residential. Driving away business is bad for Santa Barbara. Why shut down 2 functioning businesses? Between the hotel and the restaraunt, at least 40 people or more are given jobs. Also these planned homes are almost dead center between Goleta and Carp, they're going to be expensive, especially if they're new. New commercial space is going to be costly, lessening the chance of filling it with commerical tenants due to high rents. By the way did you see 108 hotel rooms lost, can you say all the hotel prices in town just went up. Looks like the city council is drinking the same kool aid as the last.
Logical in SB
Bulldozing the Arts : 12/19/2009
Not to mention the impact that it would have on the Arts, more specifically Santa Barbara's recent (and only) hit Stand-Up Comedy show "Comedy Hideaway" which has been selling out every week since November with rave reviews from the press. (www.sbcomedy.com). What happens to us?
Andrey - Hungry Comic
Save the Brew! : 12/19/2009
We finally get a fun place with great indoor/outdoor seating with TV's, pool and other games. The diversity of the patron's made this neutral ground for everyone and a safe environment for the whole family. Best part is most of us can walk there. The owners and staff are young people that have worked hard around the clock and often at others jobs to make this place work. It's a criminal to deprive them of what they have built, for the sake of what? An office building mix use project, look around town, most all of these mixed use places are empty, not to mention the surrounding office vacancy rate. This type of planning has been a failure all around the country. Building condo's on State Street is just stupid. The traffic at that site is already insane and dangerous, how many pedestrians have been hit by cars between Ontaire and Hope lately? The "Brew" has become a community gathering place where people have come together under one roof and made new friends with spots being the bond. Take that away and there will be a big whole in the soul of our Upper State community. One more thing, they want to open access to San Remo, right now it's jammed with parked cars from all the apartment complexes. The housing density is already on overload is this neighborhood. And remember Santa Barbara "ALL" developers lie!
Zuma & Mugu
Downtown Brewco : 12/19/2009
I'm glad someone likes that hole in the wall - cause most of my friends think its lame. I'm glad I don't live near it. I actually live downtown meaning downtown.
Greg
Condo's to replace Sandman Motel : 12/20/2009
The City Council has not approved this plan. For those who wish the Council to review it, an appeal is necessary. Any appealent has ten days to do so. I do question Mr. White's assertion that traffic impacts will be reduced. It seems that the the car traffic generated by 73 condos, many of whose owners will have more than one car, will more than make up for the current motel guests. It was encouraging to learn that the plans are designed to enable the driveway for the offices to the north to be shared to take advantage of the stop light on the intersection of Hitchcock Way. Currently the owners of that parcel have refused sharing.
K de F
Traffic Impacts : 12/20/2009
Traffic on the Hitchcock / State intersection is already being impacted everyday... From the parents who unload their kids at daycare at the "Y", so they can continue to drive new cars, to the new Whole Foods with "1/2 Whole" parking spaces for patrons, to Jack in the Box drive thru traffic... Another example of fine Santa Barbara Planning- NOW, we are getting 150 vehicles going in and out of their high density condos. Have these "planners" ever driven on upper State St between the hours of 4-630 PM????? Maybe if the city "forester" took out all the stupid traffic islands on State and took out all the trees planted in the middle of the ROAD, it would help traffic flow.
Nah, never happen in this "green-p.c." town ... LOL!
Anyone listening?
I'm listening : 12/21/2009
How exactly is removing a 4 foot center median is going to help traffic flow?
City Worker
Median(s) : 12/21/2009
Currently, with the " 4' PLUS foot medians" there is no way for Fire or Ambulance vehicles to get from Las Positas to LaCumbre on State street during high traffic periods; does that answer your question? The medians are also a HUGE problem on Carrillo between 101 and DeLa Vina St.
We need more lanes for MORE cars; Sorry if that goes against the "green" policies that have been rammed down our throats.
City worker... : 12/21/2009
I don't know what the city worker is using to measure the planters in the middle of state street, but they are bigger than 4 feet!
Private Propety Rights : 12/22/2009
The owner of the property has the right to develop their own property as long as the follow the law. If you complainer want to see something else or the same on the property, buy it! Why do people always complain about traffic? Are you counting your own vehicle as part of the equation. The solution to traffic congestion starts at your driveway. Get out of your own car!
BSSO
Another One bites the dust. : 2/28/2010
Landlords need to keep anonymous, fools hate for any reason. Businesses front too damn much in Santa Barbara.
We do need affordable housing in SB. I'm sick of paying off someone elses mortgage.
Lease to own would be nice. I'm not trying to get rich by ripping people off, I just want to live comfortably when I'm old.
S.B. What a rip off!
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